AI-DLC Rules / Inception Rules

Application Design - Detailed Steps

Architecture design rules

Application Design - Detailed Steps

Purpose

High-level component identification and service layer design

Application Design focuses on:

  • Identifying main functional components and their responsibilities
  • Defining component interfaces (not detailed business logic)
  • Designing service layer for orchestration
  • Establishing component dependencies and communication patterns

Note: Detailed business logic design happens later in Functional Design (per-unit, CONSTRUCTION phase)

Prerequisites

  • Context Assessment must be complete
  • Requirements Assessment recommended (provides functional context)
  • Story Development recommended (user stories guide design decisions)
  • Execution plan must indicate Application Design stage should execute

Step-by-Step Execution

1. Analyze Context

  • Read aidlc-docs/inception/requirements/requirements.md and aidlc-docs/inception/user-stories/stories.md
  • Identify key business capabilities and functional areas
  • Determine design scope and complexity

2. Create Application Design Plan

  • Generate plan with checkboxes [] for application design
  • Focus on components, responsibilities, methods, business rules, and services
  • Each step and sub-step should have a checkbox []

3. Include Mandatory Design Artifacts in Plan

  • ALWAYS include these mandatory artifacts in the design plan:
    • Generate components.md with component definitions and high-level responsibilities
    • Generate component-methods.md with method signatures (business rules detailed later in Functional Design)
    • Generate services.md with service definitions and orchestration patterns
    • Generate component-dependency.md with dependency relationships and communication patterns
    • Validate design completeness and consistency

4. Generate Context-Appropriate Questions

DIRECTIVE: Analyze the requirements and stories to generate ONLY questions relevant to THIS specific application design. Use the categories below as inspiration, NOT as a mandatory checklist. Skip entire categories if not applicable.

  • EMBED questions using [Answer]: tag format
  • Focus on ambiguities and missing information specific to this context
  • Generate questions only where user input is needed for design decisions

Example question categories (adapt as needed):

  • Component Identification - Only if component boundaries or organization is unclear
  • Component Methods - Only if method signatures need clarification (detailed business rules come later)
  • Service Layer Design - Only if service orchestration or boundaries are ambiguous
  • Component Dependencies - Only if communication patterns or dependency management is unclear
  • Design Patterns - Only if architectural style or pattern choice needs user input

5. Store Application Design Plan

  • Save as aidlc-docs/inception/plans/application-design-plan.md
  • Include all [Answer]: tags for user input
  • Ensure plan covers all design aspects

6. Request User Input

  • Ask user to fill [Answer]: tags directly in the plan document
  • Emphasize importance of design decisions
  • Provide clear instructions on completing the [Answer]: tags

7. Collect Answers

  • Wait for user to provide answers to all questions using [Answer]: tags in the document
  • Do not proceed until ALL [Answer]: tags are completed
  • Review the document to ensure no [Answer]: tags are left blank

8. ANALYZE ANSWERS (MANDATORY)

Before proceeding, you MUST carefully review all user answers for:

  • Vague or ambiguous responses: "mix of", "somewhere between", "not sure", "depends"
  • Undefined criteria or terms: References to concepts without clear definitions
  • Contradictory answers: Responses that conflict with each other
  • Missing design details: Answers that lack specific guidance
  • Answers that combine options: Responses that merge different approaches without clear decision rules

9. MANDATORY Follow-up Questions

If the analysis in step 8 reveals ANY ambiguous answers, you MUST:

  • Add specific follow-up questions to the plan document using [Answer]: tags
  • DO NOT proceed to approval until all ambiguities are resolved
  • Examples of required follow-ups:
    • "You mentioned 'mix of A and B' - what specific criteria should determine when to use A vs B?"
    • "You said 'somewhere between A and B' - can you define the exact middle ground approach?"
    • "You indicated 'not sure' - what additional information would help you decide?"
    • "You mentioned 'depends on complexity' - how do you define complexity levels?"

10. Generate Application Design Artifacts

  • Execute the approved plan to generate design artifacts
  • Create aidlc-docs/inception/application-design/components.md with:
    • Component name and purpose
    • Component responsibilities
    • Component interfaces
  • Create aidlc-docs/inception/application-design/component-methods.md with:
    • Method signatures for each component
    • High-level purpose of each method
    • Input/output types
    • Note: Detailed business rules will be defined in Functional Design (per-unit, CONSTRUCTION phase)
  • Create aidlc-docs/inception/application-design/services.md with:
    • Service definitions
    • Service responsibilities
    • Service interactions and orchestration
  • Create aidlc-docs/inception/application-design/component-dependency.md with:
    • Dependency matrix showing relationships
    • Communication patterns between components
    • Data flow diagrams
  • Create aidlc-docs/inception/application-design/application-design.md that consolidates the multiple design docs created above in a single doc.

11. Log Approval

  • Log approval prompt with timestamp in aidlc-docs/audit.md
  • Include complete approval prompt text
  • Use ISO 8601 timestamp format

12. Present Completion Message

# 🏗️ Application Design Complete

[AI-generated summary of application design artifacts created in bullet points]

> **📋 <u>**REVIEW REQUIRED:**</u>**  
> Please examine the application design artifacts at: `aidlc-docs/inception/application-design/`

> **🚀 <u>**WHAT'S NEXT?**</u>**
>
> **You may:**
>
> 🔧 **Request Changes** - Ask for modifications to the application design if required
> [IF Units Generation is skipped:]
> 📝 **Add Units Generation** - Choose to include **Units Generation** stage (currently skipped)
> ✅ **Approve & Continue** - Approve design and proceed to **[Units Generation/CONSTRUCTION PHASE]**

13. Wait for Explicit Approval

  • Do not proceed until the user explicitly approves the application design
  • Approval must be clear and unambiguous
  • If user requests changes, update the design and repeat the approval process

14. Record Approval Response

  • Log the user's approval response with timestamp in aidlc-docs/audit.md
  • Include the exact user response text
  • Mark the approval status clearly

15. Update Progress

  • Mark Application Design stage complete in aidlc-docs/aidlc-state.md
  • Update the "Current Status" section
  • Prepare for transition to next stage